Today we look at excerpts from the book Neither Man nor Woman: The Hijras of India written by Serena Nanda (Belmont, CA, Wadsworth, 1990).  To begin you will divide into groups to read and discuss your written responses to the excerpts.  Then we will have a group discussion. 

If our conversation doesn't include a discussion of the many gods and goddesses of Hinduism, we will consider that in particular.  I will also give you some basic information on the caste system and the four stages of life.

You will each receive a copy of the article "Sexuality, Diversity and Ethics in the Agenda of Progressive Muslims" by Scott Siraj al-Haqq Kugle from a book called Progressive Muslims: On Gender Justice and Pluralism ed. Omid Safi (London, Oxford, One World, 2003).   This is a challenging article to read so give yourself plenty of fime.  Write a response to the article, carefully making references to the text where necessary.  What did you learn from your reading that interested or surprised you?  What did you find difficult to understand?  What questions did the articles raise for you?  Your response should be at least a page long.

Post your response to the Web CT topic called "Progressive Muslims" and bring a hard copy with you to class for Tuesday after the break.